“Andy Barker, P.I.”
Thursday 9:30pm, NBC
Pity Andy Richter. The one-time sidekick to Conan O’Brien keeps trying to launch a successful sitcom (“Andy Richter Controls the Universe”; “Quintuplets”) but just can’t seem to find one that sticks. This go-around he re-teams with O’Brien, who co-created this show about a self-conscious accountant who, through a case of mistaken identity, unwittingly becomes a private eye. The supporting cast is formidable, including Clea Lewis (Audrey from the original “Ellen” show), Tony Hale (Buster from “Arrested Development”), and recognizable character actors in the roles of a friendly falafel shop owner and the grizzled P.I. serving as Andy’s mentor. Unfortunately, I think Richter’s about to go zero for three. The show has an affable, noir-lite vibe and features loads of great cameos. But the writing just isn’t sharp enough. And it’s a bad sign when NBC already has every episode available for free downloading on its website…
“Raines”
Thursday 10pm, NBC
Jeff Goldblum joins the growing ranks of aging movie stars finding solace—and steady paychecks—on network TV. Goldblum plays LAPD detective Michael Raines, who solves murder cases by using his imagination to conjure phantoms of the victims that “talk” to him and provide clues about the killer. NOTE: He does not solve crimes with the help of actual dead people, which is good since that’s the plot of, like, three other shows. It frankly sounds pretty convoluted, but Goldblum can be oddly charming when he turns on that googly eyed, twitch-ridden shtick that made him a star. (Remember him in the Cyndi Lauper vehicle Vibes? God, I loved that movie as a kid…) Fellow big screen refugee Madeleine Stowe co-stars as his therapist. Moves to its regular Friday night timeslot after being launched in the cushy Thursday Must-See TV lineup this week.
“Intervention”
Friday 10pm, A&E
Now this is reality TV. If you know somebody struggling with a drug problem, or gambling, or compulsive sex, or any number of addictions, make them watch this show with you. Each episode of “Intervention” focuses on a person or persons in the grips of some major addiction drama who are then forced into an intervention by their friends and family. Some of this stuff gets really confrontational—you regularly see subjects hitting absolute bottom, and it’s usually way lower than you ever imagined a person could go—and it doesn’t always end happily ever after. But the professionals involved with the show never intentionally play into the drama and the cautionary tales can totally scare a borderline addict straight. On tonight’s season premiere we meet a former therapist who lost her three kids after getting hooked on booze and painkillers, and a would-be doctor whose bulimia has completely overtaken her life.